


Outmatched

by IohannaFacTotum



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-20 03:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/580745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IohannaFacTotum/pseuds/IohannaFacTotum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>H-01 and the Ice Princess face off in a peculiar competition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Outmatched

“Too fast” was no longer a relevant phrase.

No matter how she rushed, no matter the angle she struck from, no matter the way she contorted her body, the Ice Princess could never do any more than barely deflect a well-aimed shot every now and again.

And he was being so damn passive about it. Like, although this was the third game out of five, he wasn’t affected at all. But what else had she expected?  
The suited android crouched over the table in an all-too-familiar fighting stance, air hockey paddle in one hand. Every time the disk spun across the line to his half of the field, he sprung to life, attacking it with inhuman power and precision. And every score resulted in a creepily Kotetsu-like (and, even creepier, completely silent) fist pump.

It went without saying that there were plenty of them to be had. This cocky bastard was plucking at her last nerve like a lone string on a well-worn guitar. One more fist pump, you smarmy bucket of bolts. One more…

There it was. She glared daggers a him and took the disk, aimed, and stuck. As expected, the android sent the disk flying back at an impossible speed.

She leapt to action, holding her hand out over the table and covering the thing in ice, forming a small curved edge just in front of her goal. The disk, rather than sliding in and awarding H-01 with another score, followed the curve of ice around the table and shot back towards the android’s own goal. H-01 poised as if for attack…

The resounding SLAM! must have been heard by the entire block, let alone the arcade. A shattering sound followed it closely, the air around them came alive with an explosion and light reflecting from water, and Karina found herself surrounded by tiny splinters of her ice. She looked down and time seemed to slow as she watched the little black disk slide into her slot as it had so many times before and she felt that sickening, overwhelming feeling of defeat.

After the stupid robot’s final fist pump, she sighed and walked away from the table, head held high and shoulders back, proud and nursing her sore ego. As she passed the real Kotetsu, she growled, “Your turn, Tiger,” before promptly leaving the establishment and swearing to herself to never do something so childish again.

Kotetsu gulped at the words, looking nervously as the air hockey table. H-01 leaned against it coolly (damn it, how did he get so cool, huh?) and beckoned to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Another request, this time for Tiger & Bunny. The request was "Karina and H-01 have an air hockey tournament" and this was the result.
> 
> For more of my writing, check out my Tumblr at http://ollie-writes-things.tumblr.com!


End file.
